The present invention relates to a micro-reader for projecting images of information, such as alphanumeric characters and/or graphs, recorded on a microfilm, onto a self-contained viewing screen.
It is largely recognized that the space for the storage of a huge number of documents can advantageously be minimized if the documents are microfilmed. Therefore, in most offices or any other establishments where a large number of documents are handled, a microfilming system is employed. Because the microfilming system is effective to speed up the office documentation and also effective to provide the reproduction of clear images, the microfilming system has gained the lead far ahead of the other recording media.
In such a microfilming system, a device generally called a micro-reader has to be used for reproducing and viewing an image recorded on a microfilm. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the micro-reader requires the provision of an optical system for enlarging each frame of the microfilm to a size corresponding usually to a A-4 sized paper. The provision of such an optical system makes the micro-reader considerably bulky and large in size, and therefore, the place of installation of the micro-reader is usually fixed or limited thereby posing such a problem that it is not readily available for use.
A micro-reader of a type having a foldable screen for the convenience of transportation by hand is currently commercially available, however it is of a size corresponding to or greater than a briefcase and has a considerable weight. Accordingly, even the commercially available micro-reader has a problem in that it can not readily be available at the site where the documentation is performed and immediately when it is needed.
Examples of the other prior art compact micro-readers are disclosed in, for example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,667,839, 3,700,321, 3,785,728, and 3,814,514, and the German Pat. No. 3,223,906.